DESCRIPTION (Adapted from Application Abstract): This competing renewal application is for continuation of a training program in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDS entitled the North Carolina STD and AIDS Training Program. Multiple areas of research training are involved. One principal focus is on key molecular processes in the pathogenesis of viral and bacterial STDs, including AIDS. A second focus is on the epidemiology, behavioral and clinical aspects of STDs and HIV. Predoctoral students will be candidates for the PhD degree in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the School of Medicine or in the Departments of Health Behavior and Health Education or Epidemiology in the School of Public Health. Postdoctoral trainees will be MD or PhD persons with interests in STDs/HIV. Both predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees will attend a regularly scheduled STD conference, and will participate in relevant courses and workshops. Most new trainees will be encouraged to attend an intensive course on STDs given annually at the University of Washington at Seattle and will be exposed to clinical STD/HIV problems in affiliated UNC clinics. The applicants propose a program involving 3 postdoctoral trainees and 3 predoctoral students. The training faculty is composed of 14 individuals, all with funded STD/HIV research programs. These programs focus either on sexually transmitted pathogens; including HIV-l, hepatitis A and hepatitis B, the gonococcus, Treponema pallidum, and chlamydia, or on the epidemiology, behavioral, or clinical research aspects of STDs including HIV. Five resource faculty will not mentor but will add to the training opportunities. The proposed STD/AIDS training program complements a related training program in infectious diseases pathogenesis by inclusion of predoctoral students, and by emphasis on clinical, behavioral, epidemiological and intervention research. University of Washington at Seattle and will be exposed to clinical STD/HIV problems in the affiliated UNC clinics.